35th Australian Infantry Training Battalion

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Brief History

While early training for the AIF at Northam had been undertaken from late 1939, it had been within their units. Garrison Training Battalion was raised in late 1940 to train recruits for the expanding units of 5th Garrison Brigade and following general mobilisation in December 1941, this role was transferred to the 13th Infantry Training Brigade, and so the Garrison Training Battalion switched to AIF training and was renamed Recruit Training Battalion AIF. In August 1942 their name changed again, this time to 35th Australian Infantry Training Battalion, and in April 1943 the battalion moved to Guildford to train recruits under 19 years of age while the 13th Australian Infantry Training Battalion took the older recruits.

As troop numbers in WA reduced, their status was changed from being a battalion to that of a company. In June 1944 they moved to Harvey where in July 1944 they merged with the 13th Australian Infantry Training Company to form the Recruit Training Company, Western Command

Trainees

• Mervyn Eric Doherty 16 Jul - 11 Dec 1942
• David Deverell 1 Sep - 11 Dec 1942
• Vernon Agustus Longman 6 Nov - 6 Nov 1942
• Francis (George) Hicks MM 23 Nov 1942 - 31 Jaqn 1943
• James Douglas Aitken 24 May - 1 Nov 1943
• Norman Henry Napier Fowler 16 - 18 Aug 1943 & 22 Nov 1943 - 1 Jun 1944
• Walter James Holmes 29 Feb 1944 - 14 Jul 1944
• Allan James Watters 31 Jan - 3 Jun 1944

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 6 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 6.251 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018